WWE Royal Rumble 2013: Why CM Punk vs. The Rock Will Steal the Show

If the last 20 minutes of Raw was any indication of what is set to happen in 19 days at the Royal Rumble, then The Rock and CM Punk may have just solidified this pay-per-view as the best of the year.

And it is only January.

A pipe bomb shoot interview by CM Punk (which may have been better than his shoot interview 18 months ago) was as captivating as anything Punk has said in a while and it was well received for its content.

Like it or not, Punk is the best thing going in the WWE today and for good measure. Seeing him on the screen, he spewed truths about how the company is disenchanted when it comes to its pecking order and how superstars of the past weren't as talented as the ones today and how pecking order and popularity get you far in this day and age.

Pure brilliance and pure genius to bring up Hulk Hogan's standing in terms of what he did and who he faced. You never know what is going to come out of Punk's mouth, but I am damn proud of the fact he spoke volumes like the Punk of old and not some cookie-cutter imitation of himself.

It almost had an old WCW feel to it when disgruntled wrestlers would come out and bitch and moan about the status of the company.

Sometimes, the reality behind the Gorilla Position makes for some great promos.

And what can we say about The Rock in his first appearance in months? It was new, it was exciting and it was vintage Rock. The look, the feel, the excitement, the crowd. Everything the WWE could have hoped for in the interaction between the two wrestlers happened.

It was so much better than Rock/Cena. Where else would someone refer to himself as "God" and still be outshone for a brief moment?

"Boots to Asses" vs. "Knees to Faces" will be the perfect rivalry to start things off in the 2013 wrestling year. With the WWE title on the line, it makes it that much better. And two men who can talk the talk and walk the walk will make it happen. A show stealer? Yes. A crowd pleaser? Yes. A win for the fans and the WWE? Yes.

This is what wrestling should be, this is what wrestling needs to be. And for the first time since the buildup of WrestleMania, it may be that all us wrestling fans feel magic could find its way back into the WWE with a brand of old-style wrestling with new-style chutzpah.

Only 19 days until what could be the Match of the Year. And only 19 days to build on what we saw Monday night. Hopefully, it only gets better from here.